Need a feel good story?

After 1,570 games at the minor league level, John Lindsey has reached the big leagues. He’s among the five callups that Joe Torre just announced and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

He started his minor league career in 1995 with the Arizona League Rockies and has since been at Portland, Asheville, Salem, San Bernardino, San Antonio, New Jersey, Jupiter, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, New Orleans, the Arizona League Dodgers and Albuquerque…not to mention the Dodgers’ trips to China and Taiwan, which is how I’ve had the chance to interact with him.

I’m happy for all of our callups – John Ely, Jon Link, Chin-lung Hu and Russ Mitchell, who will be making his big league debut. They all deserve it but imagine giving 15 years of your life to something and wondering if you’ll ever make it to the big leagues. I would have loved to have witnessed the conversation between John and Tim Wallach.

And the best part is, no one can accuse this guy of not legitimately earning it – he hit .356 with 25 homers and 97 RBI after going .316-26-100 for Triple-A Las Vegas in 2008.

There aren’t many people with whom I’ve visited the Great Wall of China (Beijing) and the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial (Taipei) but I’m proud to have done so with Mr. Lindsey.

Very sad to watch this team playing out the schedule. This organization needs a blood transfusion, as in, thanking Joe, Donny and Honey for their loyalty and efforts, and wishing them best of luck wherever they surface next season. For whatever reason, the kids have begun to wallow, stagnate, and tune out the message. Time for the current regime to hit the road.

It certainly is sad, Kahli. Pretty bad when you can’t hit Sanchez. I will be so glad when the season is over for good. I know it’s over for the Dodgers but, I still hope the last week in September we knock the Giants out of their playoff hopes at their own ball park.

It just not our year Cain got his 1st career win and Sanchez is 0-5 vs us until tonight I don’t think Sanchez is a bad pitcher he’s finally having one of those season I don’t understand why the Giants fans want him traded? Sanchez does have some nasty stuff.

Torre said he did not again ask Broxton if he was healthy, something he has done multiple times.

“If he is less than 100 percent, I think I would have had some kind of hint from our trainers or something,” Torre said. “Unless he’s just not getting taken care of, which would be hard to believe, knowing him.”

Torre mentioned Broxton’s velocity as an indication that he isn’t hurt, but that might not be the best evidence. According to fangraphs.com, Broxton is averaging 95.3 mph on his fastball this season. That’s down from 97.5 last season.

Good afternoon ITD.
Love the story on Pete Bonfils and I love that his picture and the story is on the front page of the LA Times.
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NAJ, Pete has a room in his home dedicated to his collection. I remember the Holliday Dodger Stadium tour two years ago, he was in the dugout restaurant area showing some of his great memorabilia
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PB1,
the pitchers do take BP. I have seen them during BP. Also when I stayed after the tour Saturday, I saw them all taking BP. I also saw Loney batting from the right side. He showed a nice sweet swing from that side. Too bad I missed taking a picture.
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I am glad Vin Scully is back tonight!
Emmahttp://crzblue.mlblogs.com

Point 2 is well taken Bear – that’s my take on the issue. Either they tried to defraud the lender (likely) or the team is joint property. Either way we win because should Frank prevail, that would necessitate either (A) calling the loan(s) due, or (B) Suing Frank for fraud.

If I was a lender (I’d be really stupid, but I digress), I’d be circling this divorce case like a vulture.

Hi ITD.
Welcome back the ex-New York mayor John Lindsay, oh he’s the other one.
Just the same welcome back and this time, it’s for real.
I remember I wanted this guy out of spring training.
Imagine how much help he would’ve been.
Although he’s a first baseman, I’d like to see him as our starting left fielder.
GO JOHN!!!!!!

I am sitting here watching the Dodgers/Padres game with my hubby realizing they (the gnats) actually want us to win. If we win, we allow the gnats to tie for first in the division. I tried to think I would like the Padres to win, but once James got on base and Andre batted him in, I couldn’t. I am all for the gnats thinking they have a chance and watching them fail at the hands of other teams and/or even themselves. I am too much of a Dodger fan anything other than them winning all the games they can.

Then again, by putting Sherrill in maybe the Dodgers want the Padres to win. It is sad and kind of funny at the same time. Just think, the Hot Stove League should be fun. I can already envision some good songs being written based on the Dodgers (Organization) demise.

I have to ask the question – if you were managing to win, and I mean that totally in the spoiler sense, why wouldn’t you bat for Ausmus with two outs and runners at second and third down by two? Its not like you don’t have a whole bench worth of players and two more catchers.

Say what you want about the players checking out and mailing it in, Joe’s doing it himself, and I don’t want to hear any more of Bowa or Schaeffer riding the players for not “getting it.”

You know, whoever’s calling the pitch location, be it Ausmus, Bunnynutts or JoJo, why would you pitch outside to a righthander trying to get a runner over from second to third? All you’re doing is helping him hit it to the right side.

It’s like the players are doing everything on their own….there is obviously no coaching whatsoever this year. I’m tired of Joe sitting there motionless…..what a fishing excuse for a supposedly great manager. He is a piece of soap as far as I’m concerned.

I was wondering about pitch location, too, especially a pitch “up” that can be hit for a SAC fly. But then I had an epiphany. Broxton just blows and that’s probably NOT where the catcher wanted any of those pitches. So I rewound the tape, and sure enough, Ausmus wanted bothy pitches to Denorfia and Eckstein DOWN. Both were way up.

As for the illustrious hitting all year, lesser men than Donnie would have been fired long ago.

The Dodgers can’t even continue the feel-good story of the Padres choking. What a bunch of party poopers.

Collie said it perfectly early tonight. He told the Padres fans not to worry because the Dodger are in town to stop that losing streak. I don’t know how they will do it, but believe me, they will find a way.

I really do think Andre cares. He may not necessarily care how the team is doing this season right now, but he certainly cares how he is doing. There is no need to tell him how he is performing because I am pretty sure he tells himself every game how he is not performing up to par as he thinks he should be performing.

The SS Dodgers have been torpedoed by three incompetent boobs slamming into their broadsides and have been taking on water through the many gaping holes ever since. I’m surprised they’ve managed to stay afloat at .500 this long. Do yourselves a favor boys, abandon ship before you go down with it.

I’d be the last person to say Boise State belongs on the big stage, but obviously they can compete. I think my guys, Oklahoma, are in for a long season.
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I don’t think Joe is going to quit on such a bad one, but how is next year going to be any better? I say Wallach when Joe bags it.

With that new leadership, perhaps the players can get invigorated, and 2010 will be seen as an “off-year” for Dre, Matty, Loney, broxton, troncoso, belisario, oh my the list goes on. Can’t be the whole team has a down year except Bils and Kid-K, that why new leadership in the club house and I pray the new leadership in the owners box and GM seat.

This is from Steve Dilbeck’s latest article:
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You gotta be inventive to stay ahead of the pack in the marketing world. And if there?s one thing the McCourt regime has been good at, it?s figuring out new ways to squeeze a dollar out of the Dodgers faithful.
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From increases in ticket, parking and concession prices, to the proliferation of commercial signage at Dodger Stadium, the McCourts recognized there was more money to be made off the Dodgers than what predecessor Fox pulled off.
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And with actual fan attendance (as opposed to the announced tickets sold) down significantly this season, now comes their newest money grab.
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They trademarked “Los Doyers.”

How’s that for a feel good story? Maybe we should trademark Fishing Aspirin.

We have quite a few sayings/names that ITD should trademark, and that is definitely one of them – LOL!!!

The more and more I read what the media has to say, the more and more I think many of us really did see this coming. We were just hoping it wasn’t all going to actually happen and we would be proven wrong.

Joe keeps pointing to a winning streak that will fire this team up. I have a suggestion, Joe. Announce that neither you nor Donnie Baseball will return next season and I’ll bet you this team reels off four or five wins in a row. It’s called exhaling and reason for optimism. This team has been tighter than a drum ever since Ned shot his mouth off and Torre stayed mum.

What might “Los Doyers” be?
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Judging from the tone of the Times this morning and other articles, the Dodgers are gradually becoming a laughing stock. We definitely took a wrong turn somewhere along the line.

I have the feeling we are going to hear from Wally real soon!!! He is going to ask how our Labor Day was. Mine was great – thank you. We spent one of our evenings with your favorite Dad/Chevelle and his fabulous family.

Hi’Ya Gang!! Hope you all had a better Labor Day weekend than our boys in blue. Not a whole lot to get excited about our team these days!!! We’ll be fortunate to finish at .500. Just hoping the McCourts are forced to sell at this point.

And just so Frank doen’t get any ideas: soap?, fishing soap?, aspirin?, fishing aspirin? and carp? are trademarks of ITD Bloggers. Any reproduction by Dodgers management for their own profit it strictly prohibited by law of our kangaroo court.

Doing well Beav!!! Thanks, how’ve you been my brother!!! Yep, we better trademark them before Frank gets the idea he can make money off of them. He’s obviously, a desperate son of a biscuit these days!!!! Not to mention, a soggy doughnut if Jamie’s actions are an indication. LOL!!!

Now normally I could appreciate starting your regulars when you’re in spoiler mode against a division rival, but seeing as how our regulars suck and have been since the all-star break, why not try all of the call-ups? They might not be any better, but they couldn’t possibly be any worse.

The only good thing about us losing, is hearing the Giants morning radio guys complaining that we aren’t trying very hard. They are POd because we aren’t helping them. They said yesterday, we played like we had blindfolds on…..boo-hoo….we’ve been playing like that all year! lol

Because this team is playing so embarrassingly wussy-like, and we all long for a little fire in their bellies, I thought I’d compare them to the Kirk Gibson-led Snakes. Since Gibby took over, the two teams’ records are nearly identical: 26-34 for Hall-of-Famer Torrre, and 25-34 for Gibby…and this AFTER the D-backs trade their two most dominant starting pitchers–Dan Haren and Edwin Jackson.

Tie Frank and Jamie each to a chair, pry their eyes open ala Clockwork Orange, and make them watch this miserable excuse for a baseball team over and over and over. Better yet, pry their eyes open and make them look at each other until they each puke.

Kahli – the difference is in the managers. Joe doesn’t seem to have any fire. I was watching MLBTV last night, and they were talking to Eric Byrnes about Gibson,and he said he just has this intensity that is just amazing. We just don’t have that in any of our management right now. An owner is non-existent and trying to squeeze every dime he can out of the remaining season. A GM who is busy trying to DFA PVLs that is really a non-factor right now, and a manager who for three years has looked practically dead standing on the railing. Now, why wouldn’t you want to play for a team with that kind of intensity? I am looking at three people who are at the top of this organization who seem that they could really care less about the team on the field at the moment.

I know they get paid lots of money to play this kids game, but if your work environment sucks, it doesn’t matter how much you get paid IMO.

SAN DIEGO — Five of the Dodgers’ seven Minor League clubs finished the regular season with winning records, with Ogden winning the Rookie Level Pioneer League and the Class A Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League reaching the playoffs.
The Loons finished the season 90-49, the most wins in the Minor Leagues. They finished the first half in second place, one game back, and finished six games in front in the second half. They open a best-of-three playoff series Wednesday at Fort Wayne.

The Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes finished 72-71 and in second place, one game back. Double-A Chattanooga went 68-74, nine games back in the first half and 12 games back in the second half. Class A Inland Empire struggled to a 50-90 mark, 20 games back in the first half and 15 games out in the second half.

Rookie Level Ogden went 44-28 and finished in first place in both halves. Rookie Level Arizona went 30-24 and finished in second place, 2 1/2 games out. The Dodgers’ Rookie Level Dominican Summer League team went 40-31 and finished third, 2 1/2 games back.

Hoffman?s wife, Tracy, and three sons, Brody, Quinn and Wyatt, also ran onto the field to hug him and the crowd roared during a standing ovation. Brewers players hoisted Hoffman on their shoulders and carried him toward the dugout.

It was Hoffman?s ninth save in 14 chances this season and 600th in 676 career opportunities. He earned his first save for Florida in 1993, then spent most of his career with the San Diego Padres before joining the Brewers last season.

Hoffman stayed in the dugout to receive congratulations from teammates and was given a large painting of himself pitching at Miller Park by Macha and general manager Doug Melvin. Fireworks went off and the No. 599 was peeled off to reveal `600? on a sign next to the Brewers? bullpen in left-center.

The offense, thanks to Rod Barajas, has held it’s own, but baserunners are taking advantage while Martin is away. In the first 107 games of the season, with Martin, opposing runners tried to steal 87 bases, and were successful 55 times, a 63.2% success rate. But, in the 31 games without Martin, baserunners are a perfect 27-for-27 against Dodger backstops.

Yeah Emma I just copy the first part of the topic that was called on the mlb.com board Five of LA’s affiliates close with winning mark. The last 3 were Belliard DFA, Oeitjen joins Dodgers and Torre balances time for callups, playoff run. I think the last 2 is important lol.

Speedy outfielder Oeltjen joins Dodgers
SAN DIEGO — Trent Oeltjen is the newest Dodger after having his contract purchased from Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday to replace Ronnie Belliard, who was designated for assignment.

Oeltjen, 27, bats and throws left-handed. He hit .347 in 49 games at Albuquerque after joining the club at midseason, when he opted out of a contract while playing for Milwaukee’s Triple-A affiliate.

A native of Australia, he originally signed with Minnesota, but made his Major League debut with Arizona last year. Last Sept. 10 as a pinch-runner, Oeltjen scored the winning run against the Dodgers on a walk-off walk.

“I was surprised,” Oeltjen said of his callup. “They told me yesterday after our last game and I was getting ready to go home to Australia.”

Oeltjen primarily plays the corner outfield positions.

“I’m a gap-to-gap speed guy,” he said.

Oeltjen almost was promoted at the end of July, manager Joe Torre said, but the Dodgers instead added an extra pitcher.

“We want to see him at this level,” said Torre. “He’s got speed and we haven’t had a lot of that. We’ll see what it looks like.”

Craig Shipley, Jeff Williams and Luke Prokopec are other Australians that have played for the Dodgers.

Torre balances time for callups, playoff run
SAN DIEGO — Manager Joe Torre was talking about how he would get his September callups playing time and soon he was fending off questions about giving up on the Dodgers’ long-shot playoff bid.

“No, not yet,” Torre said. “We’re playing this club [San Diego] and we obviously need to go out and still play hard and hope it’s good enough.”

Realistically, the Dodgers need a miracle for either a National League West title or Wild Card berth. That said, Torre wants to take a look at some of his recent callups, including the latest one, outfielder Trent Oeltjen.

“This is an opportunity to look at some people and see what we see,” he said. “The last 20-something games, we can try to get an idea of what’s there. We’ll get some guys some starting assignments. Just because we play [John] Lindsey or [Russ] Mitchell doesn’t mean we can’t win a ballgame. We’re not doing wholesale stuff.”

Lindsey and Mitchell are looking to make their Major League debuts. The other callups — Oeltjen, John Ely, Jon Link, Chin-lung Hu and A.J. Ellis — have previously played in the Major Leagues.

Hello All,
JOSH sorry I couldn’t make it to the tour…but my hours were cut and didn’t have the funds for fun! It sucks. But I’m glad the people that Did go had a blast!
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So much has been happening with the Dodgers that I don’t know where to start. Well I know that this year is just not “The Year”. Frank brought the bad karma and until he sells this team will not turn around. Right now the only way Dodgers will win is by a Miracle. Well I wish the Dodgers lots of blessings.

Meta

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